Ever since the first gameplay footage of the Harry Potter RPG Hogwarts Legacy leaked online, there's been a great deal of hype for the game. After all, the Harry Potter franchise has never really had a proper triple-A video game made for it, and so many fans have been excited to see what it's all about. After months of rumors and speculation, Hogwarts Legacy was finally announced for a 2021 release date, but unfortunately, the game has been pushed back.

Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software has confirmed that the game will no longer be releasing in 2021. The new Hogwarts Legacy release date is some time in 2022, though a specific release day or month was not revealed. Avalanche Software didn't offer much explanation as to why it needed to delay Hogwarts Legacy, beyond that the delay will give the studio more time to make sure the game lives up to expectations.

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In its message announcing the delay, Avalanche Software thanked fans for their support of the Portkey Games label game, and for the positive buzz that it's enjoyed since the announcement trailer. It also included an image of wizards looking at the Ollivanders wand shop, though it's unclear if this is meant to be an in-game image or be representative of what players can expect from the final game.

While Harry Potter fans are likely disappointed to learn that the Hogwarts Legacy release date has been delayed to 2022, others may prefer it. Many games have released too early over the years, launching with bugs and a slew of technical issues that have soured public opinion on them. Hopefully this delay will ensure that Hogwarts Legacy avoids a similar fate and is able to live up to the hype.

Hopefully Avalanche Software keeps fans interested by releasing new Hogwarts Legacy details in the months ahead. Since the first official Hogwarts Legacy trailer was released during a PlayStation 5 presentation, perhaps future reveals will also take place during PlayStation State of Play events. Then again, maybe Warner Bros. will have its E3 press conference that it intended on hosting last year, and fans can look forward to more Hogwarts Legacy news at that event.

Whatever the case may be, Harry Potter fans will need to keep themselves busy with the existing Portkey Games titles, which include Harry Potter: Puzzles & SpellsWizards Unite, and the controversial Hogwarts Mystery. In the meantime, they can look forward to 2022 being especially big year for the franchise, as not only will it see the release of Hogwarts Legacy, but it will also see the new Fantastic Beasts movie premiere in theaters as well.

Hogwarts Legacy launches in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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